Nostalgia night at TV Academy

Candid remembrances about and from honorees

Tales of liquid lunches at Nickodell, a mini-filibuster from the sister of Vivian Vance and a tribute to a mother who was a pioneer of reality TV were highlights of the TV Academy Hall of Fame induction dinner Thursday night at the BevHills Hotel.

But the biggest attraction was honoree Chuck Lorre, who came to the podium full of thank-yous, and said he’d decided to skip the “mean stuff.” That brought chants of “Do it, do it” from the many writers and actors in attendance. He went back to more thank-yous before delivering the jab everyone had been waiting for. “And from the people who are not here tonight — Roseanne Barr, Cybill Shepherd, Brett Butler and Charlie Sheen — I learned something about myself. I am an incredible shit magnet,” he said.

Earlier, “My Three Sons” stars Stanley and Barry Livingston recalled favorite moments with William Frawley, their onscreen uncle Bub. Stan, it seems, was the only one who could get Frawley away from the bar at Nickodell (down the street from Desilu) after lunch.